Head And Neck Cancer Hn

This is a prospective observational cohort study conducted at Fundación CTIC in Bogotá, Colombia. It characterizes the oral, fecal and intratumoral microbiome of Colombian adults with advanced solid tumors (gastric, colorectal, breast, cervical and head-and-neck cancer) who receive first-line immunotherapy as standard of care, and compares them with healthy volunteers. Using multi-omics (HiFi metagenomics, 16S, tumor RNA-Seq and untargeted metabolomics), the study aims to identify microbial signatures associated with treatment response and survival, building the initial Colombian cohort of a Cancer Microbiome Atlas with Latin American projection.

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), the cell-surface receptor for its ligand uPA, plays a critical role in regulating cell migration and invasion-key drivers of cancer progression. This study aims to evaluate a novel uPAR-targeting radiopharmaceutical pair: the diagnostic agent \[⁶⁸Ga\]Ga-HT547 and the therapeutic agent \[¹⁷⁷Lu\]Lu-HT547. In patients with breast cancer, head and neck cancer, pancreatic cancer, or glioma, we will assess the diagnostic performance and biodistribution of these tracers using \[⁶⁸Ga\]Ga-HT547 and \[¹⁷⁷Lu\]Lu-HT547 SPECT/CT.

This is a prospective multicentre randomised controlled trial evaluating whether intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography improves outcomes in head and neck free flap reconstruction compared with standard clinical assessment of flap perfusion. Adult patients undergoing microvascular free flap reconstruction for oncologic, trauma, or benign head and neck defects will be randomised to either intraoperative ICG angiography or conventional clinical perfusion assessment. The primary outcome is partial flap loss requiring intervention within 30 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes include total flap loss, flap-related re-exploration, flap salvage, and postoperative complications.

This is a prospective observational clinical study designed to evaluate the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms applied to upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) video-endoscopy. The study assesses three main tasks: lesion detection (localization), classification (benign vs malignant), and segmentation of tumor margins. AI algorithms will be applied to endoscopic video data acquired during routine clinical practice without influencing clinical decision-making. The system will process images in real time and store data for subsequent analysis. AI outputs will be compared with physician assessment and reference standard histopathology to evaluate diagnostic performance.

Radial forearm free flap (RFFF) reconstruction is commonly used for head and neck defects but is associated with donor-site morbidity, including neuropathic pain and sensory disturbance. This randomized controlled pilot study evaluates whether placement of a soft tissue matrix over the superficial radial nerve at the donor site reduces neuropathic pain and improves sensory outcomes compared to standard closure alone.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if normal saline soaks can reduce the severity of acute radiation dermatitis in patients with sarcomas or head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy. It will also learn if saline soaks can improve wound healing and reduce treatment interruptions caused by skin toxicity. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does the application of normal saline soaks reduce the severity of acute radiation dermatitis according to CTCAE Version 5.0? 2. Does the use of normal saline soaks improve wound healing time and reduce the frequency and duration of radiotherapy interruptions? Researchers will compare standard care plus saline soaks (intervention group) to standard care alone (control group) to see if saline soaks reduce skin reaction severity and improve clinical outcomes. Participants will: 1. Be randomly assigned to receive either standard care alone or standard care with daily saline soaks 2. Apply saline-soaked gauze to the affected radiation area for 5-10 minutes once daily (intervention group only) 3. Attend weekly clinic visits for skin assessment during radiotherapy 4. Be assessed for skin reaction severity, wound healing, and treatment interruptions at baseline, after 4 weeks, and 2 weeks after completing treatment

Patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) after presenting to an emergency department (ED) often face significant delays in diagnosis and treatment. These patients are frequently younger, underinsured, and experience multiple socioeconomic and systems-level barriers to accessing timely cancer care. Delays of more than 30 days have been associated with worse outcomes, including higher recurrence rates and reduced survival. This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and early impact of a community-based navigation program designed to improve access to timely care for ED-presenting HNC patients. The study embeds trained Community Health Support Specialists (CHSS) from the Engaging Navigators to Reduce Inequities in Cancer Health (ENRICH) program into the ED-to-treatment pathway. After ED discharge, CHSS staff will contact participants by telephone or text message to identify barriers to care-such as transportation, insurance, housing, or communication challenges-and connect them with appropriate community or institutional resources. All participants will receive the CHSS navigation intervention. Outcomes will be compared with a historical cohort of similar ED-presenting HNC patients treated prior to program implementation. The primary outcomes are time from ED discharge to diagnostic biopsy and time from ED discharge to initiation of definitive treatment. Secondary outcomes include feasibility, measured as the proportion of participants who complete CHSS navigation, and exploratory analyses of the types of barriers identified and resolved. Findings from this pilot will generate preliminary data to inform larger studies aimed at improving access, reducing disparities, and accelerating treatment for head and neck cancer patients who first present in the emergency setting.

The main purpose of Part A of the study is to evaluate safety, tolerability and tracer uptake after a single intravenous (IV) administration of \[68Ga\]Ga-DPI-4452 for each tumor type such as clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and colorectal cancer (CRC); Part B: is to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) \[maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or lower dose\] for \[177Lu\]Lu-DPI-4452 for each tumor type such as ccRCC, PDAC, CRC, and urothelial carcinoma (UC); Part C: is to evaluate the preliminary antitumor activity of \[177Lu\]Lu-DPI-4452 as monotherapy for each tumor type such as ccRCC, PDAC, CRC, and UC; Part D: is to assess the diagnostic concordance between \[68Ga\]Ga-DPI-4452 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and the histopathology result of the Indeterminate Renal Mass (IDRM); Part E: is to assess \[68Ga\]Ga-DPI-4452 uptake in each tumour type such as UC, muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), head and neck cancer (H\&N), triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and any other tumor with locally confirmed carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX expression except ccRCC, CRC and PDAC.